Words Said In The Dark
by The Genius Mage
Summary: After a cave in traps Hope and Vanille in an underground tunnel, they learn a few things about each other away from the rest of the party's prying eyes. HopexVanille
1. An Unexpected Pitfall

_~*_Words Said In the Dark*~

_The only things that had to know were the shadows._

~*X*~

_Prologue: An Unexpected Pitfall_

Sunlight spread warm rays across the green, immense plains of Gran Pulse. The Archylte Steppe easily covered the lion's share of the lower world, and for miles and miles it offered an uninterrupted view of the fields. For that reason, it was immediately evident to any of the predatory creatures that so much as raised their heads that there were human intruders in their territories.

Not just any human intruders. _L'Cie._

Well. At least there were Chocobos present to give the heroes a quick lift.

Hope clung to his with an uneasy grimace as the massive yellow bird strutted forward, great talons churning up the dirt as it moved. The party was going…somewhere. North? He wasn't entirely sure, but he trusted Lightning to get them to…wherever, safely.

Speaking of which, Lightning was leading the group, looking perfectly comfortable on the gigantic avian as if she had been riding them her entire life. The wind toyed with her pale pink hair, and sunbeams lit her up like some kind of angel.

Hope sighed, leaned forward a little, and ended up losing his grip as his mount stumbled just a bit. He almost fell off, but then a hand was on his shirt and someone hauled him safely back into his former position.

"Careful there," Fang chided, her wild eyes glinting with amusement. "Can't have you falling off and being trampled, now can we?"

He felt his face heat up as Vanille, who was riding nearby, giggled openly at him. Muttering thanks to Fang, he sought to pay better attention. His little crush on Lightning was going to get him…well…crushed. Underneath the feet of a Chocobo. Or with his luck, he'd roll down a hill first and _then_ be crushed by an Adamantoise.

"This isn't so bad," observed Sazh as Light glanced over her shoulder to see if her protégé was okay.

"Can you imagine us _walking_ this place?" Snow seemed horrified just at the _prospect_ of it.

Hope had to admit that he agreed. The Archylte Steppe was far too _humongous _to cross on foot in a reasonable amount of time. His Chocobo squawked and shook its tawny head, and the boy wrinkled his nose at the musty scent of its golden feathers.

Fang struck up a conversation with Snow and Sazh rode up to ask Light something. Evidently, this gave Vanille the opinion that she should go talk to Hope. The tribe girl smiled brightly at him, looking easily at home on her steed. "What do you think of Gran Pulse so far?" She inquired in her curiously accented voice. Hope liked to think that it was rather different from Fang's, though of the same origin. It just…fluctuated. The same vowels and consonants could, or could not, be pronounced the same way every time she said them.

He rubbed the Chocobo's neck absently as he coaxed it into picking up its speed just a tad. Vanille's kept pace with his. "It's beautiful," he admitted. "It has something that Cocoon was missing."

Her green eyes twinkled, the bangles on her wrists clinking together as she gestured around them. "It's not _artificial_."

Shrugging at that, he grimaced as one of the monsters—its name escaped him for now, but it was large and wolf-like—growled savagely and pounded after them. The startled Chocobos put on a burst of speed and outdistanced the ravenous creature, their long legs crossing greater spaces than the would-be hunter's.

"That thing looked like it was starving. Where's its pack?" wondered Snow aloud to Fang.

However, it was Lightning who answered. "Maybe they died. Maybe it got separated. What's it matter?"

"Just wondering, Sis." Realizing his mistake a little too late (his soon to be sister-in-law was _not_ fond of that title) Snow hurriedly said to Sazh, "What are you going to do when your Chocobo grows up?"

The dark-skinned male scratched his head as the aforementioned chick peeped out of his afro. "I don't really know. Maybe—"

The rest of the words were lost to Hope, because at that moment the floor _collapsed_.

He and Vanille had been riding at the back of the party, and now the plants and earth just started _sliding inwards_, as if something was sucking them in. The Chocobos screeched in fright, their talons and wings moving every which way as they endeavored to escape the unexpected pitfall. Feathers swirled around them like bright yellow dust motes.

Lightning pulled her mount to a stop _hard_, probably way harder than required. Hope noticed her eyes go as wide as Fang's did at that moment as the two women yelled;

"Hope!"

"Vanille!"

Vanille was screaming, more panicked than frightened, and Hope vainly tried to calm down his mount. He thought about jumping off, but the ground was dropping away too fast. He didn't even know what was going on, really.

Sazh and Snow were unsure what to do, backpedalling to avoid the falling earth. Hope winced as he saw Vanille's Chocobo buck furiously, knocking its rider from its back. It kicked with quite a lot of force, attempting and succeeding in finding solid ground, but in the process one of its clawed feet struck the tribe girl on the forehead.

Her eyes rolled back and with a groan she vanished into the soil.

For a second, all Hope could see was his mother dropping into the abyss.

_No. Not again._

Ignoring Light's orders—he didn't really notice it—he dove straight after Vanille. To his surprise, his Chocobo whipped itself around and followed, though because it had slipped or willingly, he didn't know.

Everything was heavy, warm, cool, and gritty. Rocks clattered off of him and Hope was shocked to find that his feet didn't touch anything. He was plummeting through empty black air!

After a few seconds, he heard the _crash clatter hiss_ of stones, grass, and earth hitting something solid. He landed hard on his side and just barely suppressed a groan of pain. His feet were working on autopilot, and he scrambled out of the way before he was buried under the rubble. He spotted a familiar shape, and without stopping or slowing down, he grabbed her by her shirt and hauled her as far as he could in the short amount of time before the rest of the debris came hurtling at them from above.

He wrapped his arms around her and huddled close, shielding her unconscious form from the wreckage piling close by. After everything again became quiet, he pried himself away from Vanille and looked around him.

It was…a tunnel. A very, very _long_ tunnel to his left that stretched on into blank oblivion. The only reason he could see at all was because of the miniscule sunrays that filtered down from small gaps between the rubble. The ceiling had caved in; hence their unceremonious drop into the network of underground passages, and for the time being…there wasn't a way out.

Hope worriedly turned to Vanille, and he felt his heart twinge in concern for her. There was blood on her face, running down in rivulets from where her wretched Chocobo had gashed her. He placed his hand on her forehead, muttering a Cure spell that washed away the torn flesh and knitted her skin together. He used his shirt to wipe clean the rest of the blood and decided that she would have to wake up on her own.

One second later:

"Hope!" Light's voice sounded unbelievably distant—though he could still hear her pretty clearly—and he squinted up. The rest of the gang was shouting out both his and Vanille's names.

"I'm okay!" He called back as loud as he dared, the tunnel magnifying his voice and causing it to echo. "Vanille is too, but she's unconscious!"

Fang snapped several things that aren't polite to repeat, the product of her anxiety. Lightning was a bit more levelheaded, and she continued. "Where are you?"

"Some kind of tunnel. It's like a whole complex of them." _Maybe that digging Fal'Cie did this?_

"Hang on! We'll get you out!" Snow, this time. There was a loud _thump_ from above, and a shower of pebbles and dirt coated the two teenagers. The roof rumbled ominously.

"Wait, stop!" Sazh ordered. "Hope, how stable is the ceiling?"

The boy surveyed the general structure. "It doesn't look very good. At least, not around here."

"The _last_ thing we need is another cave in—with _them in it, _Snow!" Light growled, and Hope could almost imagine her glowering whilst pacing, like a tiger in a cage.

"Got a better idea?" The self-proclaimed hero retorted.

Sazh sighed. "We could try our Eidolons, but…their weight could cause the whole place to collapse! They'd either be crushed or they'd suffocate," he said, referring to the trapped children.

Fang announced abruptly, "Where do you think those tunnels go?"

"They could go on forever," scoffed Lightning. "Even if they _did_ come up somewhere, how would we find them?"

"_They_ could find _us_. Either we send 'em packing down the passageways or we sit here and try to find a way to dig 'em out."

Hope's hand instantly went for his boomerang as he felt something's warm breath blast across the back of his neck. Whirling around, he realized it was just his faithful Chocobo, blinking at him.

"Kweh." Without another sound, it turned and padded off down the tunnel.

"Um…Light?" The platinum-haired youth asked, one gloved hand stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"What? Is something wrong?" She wasn't doing a great job at hiding her worry for him.

"My Chocobo is down here…and it's walking off. Should I follow it?"

A squabble of opinions erupted from the antsy adults up above, the loudest of which was Fang whom proclaimed that he couldn't move a single step until Vanille woke up.

Fortunately, she was coming around now. "Oh…" She moaned, clapping a hand to her head.

"How're you feeling?" Hope queried sympathetically, crouching near her and studying the confused light in her eyes.

"Like…a Chocobo just kicked me." Pause. "It _did_, didn't it? Where are we?" She stood up and gazed around, jaw dropping. "Wow, even _I_ didn't know this was under the Archylte Steppe!"

"Vanille!" Fang's relief was obvious. "Are you okay?"

"Just fine!"

"Well guys? What should we do?" Hope shouted to their elders beyond the crumpled rocks and mounds of dirt over their heads.

More arguments broke out, before at long last Light replied in a grudging fashion that made it clear she disagreed with the general consensus, "Follow that Chocobo."

* * *

_Author's Note: Yeah, this is just a prologue. This little story should have two more parts before it's done. Nothing particularly fancy._

_What do you think so far? Review!_


	2. Stretch of Shadow

_Part One: Stretch of Shadow_

"All right, let's go!" Hope decided to take charge, gesturing for Vanille to follow.

"Don't take any turns!" Sazh called after them. "Make sure you know your way back here!"

"If you don't seem to be getting anywhere, come back!" Snow added.

Vanille's fingers found his own, and he blinked at her in surprise as she said simply, "So we don't get separated."

"Uh…right," he agreed, nodding. He was grateful for the darkness that was probably doing a marvelous job at hiding the flush in his cheeks right now. They didn't walk far before encountering the patiently waiting Chocobo, and the great avian chirped at them before proceeding to strut onward. Hope gingerly took one of its tail feathers in his other hand.

Over his shoulder, he told his female companion, "Would you mind lighting a fire?"

"Oh!" Vanille opened her palm and let a Fire spell materialize, its orange glow illuminating as much of the shadows as it dared. Hope half expected to see the gleam of hundreds of eyes above them, but luckily the corridor was empty, devoid of life besides themselves.

_This holding hands thing is really unnecessary…_

Vanille hummed behind him, her song bouncing off of the walls.

_But I really don't mind, I guess. If it makes her feel better._

Usually Vanille and Lightning were the ones reassuring him. He couldn't thank the Gran Pulsian enough though, for helping him through the events that had happened after his mother had died. Even if they had ended up as L'Cie partially because of her, if it hadn't happened that way, he'd not have met his new friends. Maybe, in the long run, the whole L'Cie thing would turn out okay.

Optimism was a good thing, right?

He watched the dancing shadows formed by the firelight as they flickered across his Brand. It had developed a nasty red symbol that made his skin crawl just by looking at it.

"Did you hear that?" Vanille asked after a few minutes had passed.

"What?"

"I thought I heard something. Like a distorted echo." She looked behind her, her green eyes tracing the darkness. But there was nothing there except for the tunnel's usual stretch of shadow.

Hope shook off his paranoia, putting on a nonchalant smile. "If the Chocobo isn't worried, we don't need to be."

The bird clacked its beak, walking straight forward.

"You're right," Vanille dipped her head, grinning. "I just hope this tunnel doesn't go on forever."

"Me too." Hope paused, and then came to a stop, groaning. His Chocobo gave an indignant squawk.

"What's wrong?"

"The ceiling was only shaky where we came down at…couldn't we have gotten our Eidolons to dig us out somewhere else?"

"Maybe. But these tunnels aren't tall enough for Alexander or Hecatoncheir."

Tapping his chin, Hope muttered, "Light and the others could have used theirs—above ground."

Vanille huffed, putting her hands on her hips. "A bit late for that now, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Guess so." Heaving a deep sigh, he watched the Chocobo as it tugged itself free and pressed on, staring at them from over its broad shoulders.

"It wants us to follow!" Vanille exclaimed, making to brush past him. Hope grabbed her wrist to stop her, and she narrowed her eyes slightly in response. "What's the matter?"

"We should go back and tell the others to dig us out somewhere else," he pointed out. "We'll move down the tunnels, and—"

An impatient huff came from the Chocobo, pausing just within the Fire spell's radiance. It stamped its huge talons and murmured irritably at the dawdling L'Cie.

"See? Chocobos are smart birds, I trust it." Smiling at him in a placating fashion, she once more tried to set off after the avian. Hope tightened his grip, and this time he quelled just a little as annoyance flashed in her pale emerald gaze.

"Vanille, really, we should go back."

"What about the Chocobo? We just can't leave it here!"

"It can either return with us or go where we're going," he stated firmly. He tugged on her arm this time, and Vanille yanked herself free, the fire in her other palm flaring brightly.

"We'll be okay. I promise." Her tone softened. "Besides, I don't think the Eidolon thing could work."

"Why not?" Hope growled, frustrated with her stubbornness. The Chocobo sighed and plopped itself down to wait.

"A lot of reasons. Weight, the strength of the ceiling, we might even have to walk way out into the plains _underground _to find sturdier land. And then how will they know _exactly_ where we are?"

He considered that. "There's a way."

Vanille huffed, hands on her hips. "We'll follow the Chocobo first, and if that doesn't work out, then we'll do things your way. Okay?"

"Fine." He knew it was childish, but when Vanille offered him her hand again, he ignored her and stalked off after an infuriatingly smug looking Chocobo.

And in this fashion, they delved deeper and deeper into the tunnels.

~*X*~

Hope wondered about how long they had been walking.

There were no landmarks, no way to tell how far they had gotten. His feet were beginning to hurt a bit, and more than once he stumbled over a hidden rock that Vanille's fire didn't properly illuminate. After the third almost-trip, he called flames to his own hands and poured more energy into the spell than she had, so that everything seemed to glow bright orange.

In response, she put hers out by closing her fist. He tried to ignore the concern radiating out from her in waves.

_What is she worried about, anyway?_

His question was soon answered.

"Aw, you're not mad at me, are you?" Vanille skipped up to his side and leaned a little closer to peer at his face.

Hope glanced at her before shrugging, his gaze on the ground. "No, not really. I just…We're taking a big chance here."

"It's not any worse than—" Vanille abruptly cut herself off, and he turned back to her in surprise.

"What's the matter?"

She raised one hand, which was trembling a bit, pointing behind him. "L-L-_Look_!"

He whirled back around and his eyes shot wide open. The Chocobo had lifted into the air, struggling to make a sound as some gigantic…monstrous…_thing_ that was just beyond his Fire spell's light hefted it high.

Vanille wasted no time. Her Binding Rod found its way into her hands and she brandished it whilst exclaiming, "Firaga!"

The flames burst brilliantly forward, clearly showing the pair of L'Cie a Behemoth of some sort. It was brawny, black-scaled, and standing on its hind legs. Every limb was as thick as a tree trunk. It took the hit like it was nothing, opening its maw wide—

"Vanille! Run!" Hope grabbed her arm and dragged her with him back the way they had come.

"But the Chocobo—"

He just shook his head. It took at least _three_ of them to take down a Behemoth of practically _any_ kind, but with just the two of them…it wasn't even a Behemoth that he recognized, either, and Lightning was the one with the Librascopes.

They heard the mortifying _thump_ of a carcass hitting the earth, followed by a victorious roar that echoed up and down and all around the tunnels like the battle cry of a fiend from Hell.

Hope swallowed down the bile that rose in his throat as he imagined the mutilated state of the Chocobo's body. How had the avian _not_ heard the approach of the Behemoth? _Were there more down here?_

Vanille seemed to regain her composure then, because _she_ took the lead, pounding quickly through the passageway with a Fire spell springing into life beside her. "We'll be cornered!" She told him, her tone grimmer than he had ever heard.

He understood what she was saying. Once they reached the cave-in at the end of the tunnel, they'd have no choice but to face the Behemoth that was rampaging behind them. The battle would be ludicrously risky what with the shaky ceiling found in that area.

That meant they had a few choices. Hope chose one.

Pulling her to a standstill, he pushed the female behind him and flipped his boomerang open. Firelight gleamed all along its metallic surface as he gripped it tightly. "We'll have to fight it!"

"There might be other turns—" She began, but he cut off her off.

"We could end up getting lost down here if we go somewhere else, like Sazh said." Hope's heart thundered loudly as the ominous _wumph _of heavy paws grew ever closer. The Behemoth wasn't very fast. "I-If we have to, we'll run away again. We're not exactly cornered."

"What do you want me to do?" Vanille asked after a brief pause. This time the monster was a noticeable shape that shifted nearer with every passing second.

Odd how she was turning to _him_ for advice now, like _he_ was the leader. Back when they had first met, he had been the one listening to her orders. "Heal when necessary."

She nodded resolutely. "Okay." Shifting into her battle stance, she twirled her Binding Rod as the Behemoth bellowed.

Hope paced towards it, watching the gleam of red that was its eyes. They were far….far…_far_…above the ground. The thing's head must have almost touched the ceiling!

He took a leaf out of Fang's book. "Give it your best shot!"

The Behemoth didn't seem fond of _that_ taunt, and it charged with a bone-chilling howl.

~*X*~

"Damn it," Lightning hissed, pacing back and forth and back and forth around the crumpled heap of debris that was the site of the cave-in. Fang was watching her with raised eyebrows whilst Sazh and Snow were reluctant to intrude on the ex-soldier's musings.

Who would have guessed that the rockier section of the Archylte Steppe housed a hidden series of underground tunnels? _She_ wouldn't have thought of such a thing. Why would it collapse _now_, of all times, when there were much heavier things like Adamantoises wandering around?

"We should start digging, _carefully_." Sazh decided. "See where the ground collapsed here? I'm sure we can create a hole big enough for the two of them to fit through."

Snow circled the sloping mound. "Without the proper tools…could be a little difficult."

This was a _massive_ understatement. There was so much dirt and rocks clogging up the hole that it would be nearly _impossible_ to excavate properly. Magic might have made it easier, but then again, _Vanille_ was the one with the Earth Eidolon.

Lightning ignored him, or at least it _looked_ like she did to Fang.

At long last Fang said, "There's two ways we can do this. We can dig right here, or the lot of us can move and try to dig somewhere else."

The female solider paused, considering a few factors. She replied without looking, "Let's get to work."

Snow opened his mouth to respond, but at that moment, from the small gaps that dotted the cave-in location, a mighty growl echoed dimly from within the confines. He and Sazh grimaced.

Lightning glared at everyone, her scowl lingering on Snow—(he was fluent in Meaningful Glower)—before jumping to work.

~*X*~

Hope hit the cavern wall _hard_. Stars popped into existence before his eyes, and the world became black around the edges. Blood was running down his torso in shining rivulets, and his chest ached horribly. Regardless, he staggered to his feet and called on a Thunder-based spell of potent power.

The Behemoth seemed to be immune to _everything_. No matter what magical attack he tried, it bounced off of its dark hide without any effect. It was on all fours now, prowling towards him and ignoring Vanille.

That was good.

Healing magic suffused his body, swiftly healing him before the beast could strike again. Hope darted to the side to avoid a slow, staggeringly strong swipe from the Behemoth's claws. It snapped its huge jaws in agitation.

They couldn't keep doing this. He wasn't built appropriately to play Sentinel, of all things. He was too young, his pain tolerance _definitely_ wasn't that high—(he had a newfound respect for Snow and Fang)—and he lacked the physical strength to counter properly.

His eyes roved everywhere as he ducked and dodged in an attempt to keep out of the Behemoth's reach. Vanille was faithfully keeping two Fire spells burning constantly at her side, though he knew the magical exertion must have been heavily taxing. Their fleeing from earlier had brought them to a previous tunnel that was wider and taller than the rest, hence why Hope had thought it would make a decent battle arena if need be.

And then…

Hope focused on an array of spiky shapes clinging to the ceiling.

_Stalactites!_

He had an idea, but it could go horribly, horribly wrong. He really didn't want to do this, but he had no choice but to put Vanille directly into the path of danger.

It made his stomach twist and his heart knot up into a little tangle.

"Vanille!" He called, grateful for the fact that the Maker had at least constructed _this_ particular Behemoth has a giant amongst giants—that just happened to move slowly.

Her green eyes found his, anxious, obviously unhappy about his command to heal him and do nothing else. All in the interest of conserving her magic, naturally. (And so she wouldn't attract the Behemoth's attention.)

"Can you maneuver—" He ducked and rolled to the side to avoid a paw that nearly knocked his head from his shoulders. Reassuming his former position on his feet, he backpedalled rapidly, trying to finish his sentence. The black Behemoth with the fiery scarlet eyes reared up on its hind legs and roared again.

To Hope surprise, the stalactites trembled on the ceiling. That was also good.

"What?" Vanille asked, flinging a Cure spell at him just in case. The green, glowing force _did_ succeed in helping him catch his breath.

"Distract this thing! Can you get it under the stalactites?"

Even if she didn't know what the scientific name for the hanging rock spires were, it was clear what he wanted her to do since he gestured upwards at the same time. She blinked for a heartbeat before nodding. "Mmhmm!" A burst of high-level wind magic struck the Behemoth directly on the back of its head and she exclaimed mockingly, "I'm not all flowers and sunshine!"

The Behemoth's eyes narrowed and it turned away from Hope, charging at Vanille.

It did _really _strange things to his body to let the monstrosity hurtle towards her, but he ignored his own fears for the girl and brought his arm back.

_There are some things you just _do.

Vanille was light on her feet, almost _dancing_ from side to side as the Behemoth sought to cleave her innards out. He was momentarily transfixed by her, but Hope redirected his gaze on the stalactites as she coaxed their adversary underneath the spiky stones on the ceiling.

_Wait for it…_

The Behemoth inched closer, its irritation causing it to shake. It might pull its saw out at any moment.

_Wait for it…_

The tribe girl retreated again, her taunts growing more and more colorful. The Behemoth's crimson stare was quite obviously capable of killing, if looks were lethal.

_Now!_

He hurled his boomerang with all of the strength in his teenaged body, and he watched its spiraling arc with bated breath. His aim was true, striking each and every one of the four stalactites. The wild animal bellowed again, and he gave a small smirk that would have made Lightning proud as the rock detached themselves from the roof of the cavern and shot down.

One after another, the large and heavy spires impaled the Behemoth. It thrashed in confused pain as they pierced its thick skin, gravity aiding in their power. Vanille hurriedly raced to his side, and they watched the hapless creature struggle to its feet.

Hope feared that their efforts had been in vain, because it might very well somehow regain its footing and come back at them. There was no way in Hell that they had a chance of defeating it alone, that much was clear.

However, after one more attempt to stand, it collapsed onto its stomach with a defeated sigh. All of the pointed cave rocks were shoved deeply into its flesh, and blood oozed out from it in a blackish-red pool.

Vanille exhaled slowly before smiling, her hands clapping together as she put away her weapon. "We did it, Hope!"

He uneasily surveyed their kill, in case it was all a ruse and the determined predator would again rise. However, after several seconds had passed and nothing happened, he grinned too. "Yeah, we did, didn't we?"

"Wow, wait 'till I tell Fang!" She giggled a bit and he folded his boomerang, stashing the thing in his back pocket.

"Let's get out of here," he decided. "If _that_," he inclined his head towards the prone form of the Behemoth. "Gets back up, I don't want to be anywhere near it."

Vanille wagged her finger at him. "Uh uh. We can't leave just yet!" At his blank expression, she went on. "We don't have anything to eat!"

It took several seconds for the realization to sink in. To _really _sink in. His mouth dried. "Oh no. You don't mean…"

She went over to the Behemoth and poked its side. He flinched, expecting the monster to pounce, but it was truly and surely dead. Its red eyes were vacant and glassy. "This is perfectly good meat right here! And we can use magic to cook it!"

He sighed, gloved fingers running through his platinum hair. "I can go without food for today."

"No way, Hope!" Vanille turned back to him, hands on her hips. "Don't be picky! We don't know how long we'll be down here anyways, and we should eat something while it's still fresh."

The Behemoth didn't look particularly appetizing. He didn't even want to _imagine_ what the scaly, fatty skin on that thing even _tasted_ like. Still, she had a point; he just didn't want to acknowledge it. "Can't we just eat the Chocobo?" He complained half-heartedly.

Eyes narrowing, she shook her head. "Of course not! In a way, it saved our lives. We should bury it, not eat it!"

"We _are_ buried," Hope pointed our wryly, earning a playful slap on the shoulder from the tribe girl.

"Don't worry; you won't have to cook it or anything. I'll handle that. You just sit here and rest, okay?" She flashed him that _smile_ that always made it impossible for him to say no, and he sat down with a sigh as she went back to the carcass.

He supposed she had a skinning knife or something on her. It was beyond him. All of the cooking and preparing animals business had been left to the two Oerban women ever since they had first set foot on Gran Pulse.

Though he was grateful to the Chocobo for revealing the presence of the Behemoth, he still thought it would properly be better to eat.

~*X*~

Snow was surprised, actually.

He sat there, breathing hard, his gloves stained brown with dirt. The sun was beginning to set, painting the horizon blood red and the verge of twilight proudly bore a single white star. They had decided to start digging—_without_ Eidolons—at the cave-in site itself, since the dirt there was recently overturned and easier to move. Though Hope and Vanille had obviously gone, everyone firmly believed that they were either already on their way out, or that they'd be back sooner or later reporting a dead end or something.

The monster call from far within the tunnels had been silenced long ago.

They were making a lot of progress, in truth, to be going at their task manually without any shovels or what have you. The drop was _far_ larger than even Fang had expected, and though Sazh and Snow worked as hard as they could, not even the two of them put together rivaled the amount of effort that Fang or Lightning put in on the children's behalves.

Sazh came over to Snow and murmured, "They should rest, at least for a little while before they wear themselves out."

He always _was_ the voice of reason, but apparently the gun-wielding man wanted _him_ to go tell the two determined women that.

Well. He _was_ a hero.

Snow raised his voice and said casually, "Why don't you two take a break? We'll take over for now. You guys haven't—"

He hadn't even finished his sentence before Lightning snapped, "I'm not tired."

Sazh attempted to reason with her, but she would not be swayed.

Fang simply replied, "If it were Serah buried down there, would _you_ stop to rest?"

Already knowing the answer to that, Snow went back to scooping earth behind him without anything else in way of a reply.

~*X*~

"Here," Vanille announced with a smile, offering Hope her handiwork. It was a square segment of Behemoth meat that had been cooked over a magically induced fire.

He took it reluctantly, his nose twitching as he tentatively smelled it. It had a kind of…_hamburger-ish _scent, and to his shock, the meat wasn't a strange color like green or black.

The tribe girl grinned at him, making a point of biting hers and chewing slowly, all the while giving him a meaningful look.

Hope thought a quick prayer to the Powers that Be before he nibbled it, very carefully, as if he was in danger of dying on the spot if he did something wrong. It had a rough texture and left a tingling heat behind in his mouth when he swallowed it.

"So?"

Shrugging, he continued to eat. "It's not as bad as I thought it'd be."

"At least there's a Water spell," Vanille remarked cheerfully, resting her back on the wall as she positioned herself beside him. "We're not going to dehydrate!"

The celebratory tone that she used made him chuckle.

"Funny?" She inquired, appearing flummoxed about why it would be.

"Nothing. You did really well today; I can't believe we beat that Behemoth!"

"Me neither," agreed the tribe girl happily. "You were so brave, taking that Behemoth on!"

"Yeah…well…" Hope lifted one shoulder and let it fall. "It was nothing."

"No, it was." She put her hand on his arm, her green gaze becoming serious. "You protected me. I really appreciate that. Thanks."

He felt a blush creep up on him. "N-No problem. Thank _you_ for cooking and luring that Behemoth underneath the stalactites."

Vanille waved it off as nothing, yawning and staring up at the ceiling. "I hope Fang and the others are okay."

"Me too. Is Gran Pulse _that_ dangerous at night?"

"It can be. But Fang knows what she's doing!"

To his ears, it sounded like she was trying to reassure them both. "You have a lot of faith in Fang, huh?"

She nodded, smiling. "Like you have, for Lightning."

He stared down at his hands. "That obvious, is it?"

"Yep! But don't worry, everyone needs a role model. Fang's mine, and my sister, in a way."

"…Light's mine, and my mother, in a way."

_That_ quieted her. Vanille said nothing for a handful of seconds, and then she murmured, "I'm very sorry about your mom, in case I didn't say so before."

His heart ached but he locked the pain away and ignored it. "Smile. It's okay. I'm fine."

"If you say so," she yawned again. She reclined slightly on her side and rested her head on his shoulder. This time he was _certain_ his face was burning red, but her eyes were closed and she seemed to be already fast asleep.

This was further proven by the magical fireball flickering out, and Hope slowly put one of his arms around her before closing his eyes himself.

Even in the darkness of the underground tunnels that winded their way beneath the Archylte Steppe, they found no shadows in their dreams.

* * *

_Author's Note: What's up people? XD Thanks for the reviews so far! Expect even _more_ fluff later, but this chapter was me actually experimenting with writing fight scenes. Probably a fail. Anyway, mind dropping a review? Next part will be up soon!_


	3. To Seal A Promise

_Part Two: To Seal A Promise_

Morning (or at least Hope assumed it was) found him still with his arm wrapped around Vanille's shoulder. He blinked sleepily, waiting for the white fog at the edges of his vision to clear. He froze, expecting her to make some kind of teasing remark about their current position, but she continued to doze peacefully.

Without really stopping to think about it, he pressed his face affectionately into her soft hair and closed his eyes again. She may not be "all flowers and sunshine" but she sure smelled that way. For her to be a few years older than him, Vanille wasn't really all that much taller…

It was nice. Really nice. He wasn't sure why, but he liked the tranquility of their situation. He hadn't felt this safe and content in a long while.

However, he knew it couldn't last. Better to do something now than to be caught red-handed, so to speak. Gently withdrawing his arm from around her slender frame, he shook her cautiously awake. "Vanille?"

She hummed sleepily, opening one green eye that flashed in the glow of the Fire spell he had just summoned. He watched as awareness crept back into her gaze, and she sat up, blushing a little, stretching as she got to her feet. "How late is it?" The tribe girl wondered.

"I don't know," Hope shrugged in response. He followed her example, joints in his limbs cracking as he tried to work the kinks out of his body. His thoughts turned towards Light and the rest of the gang. Facing Vanille, he said, "We should head back, to where we first fell in."

Her lips turned down in a pensive frown. "Um…can we do something else, first?"

"What?"

She looked at the tunnel where they had first encountered the Behemoth. "I'd like to bury that Chocobo. Really bury it."

_Is she serious?_

"Uh…are you sure? There might be more Behemoths down there." He cautiously stared down the passageway, his brows furrowing. Vanille was adamant, however.

"It doesn't feel right, to leave it to be eaten." Her tone turned pitying. "It was such a brave Chocobo; I think it really did know a way out."

Hope sighed, rubbing the back of his hair. "Fine, fine," he relented.

Pleased, Vanille smiled before linking her fingers with his and tugging him with her as they plunged into the dark depths of the tunnel. They kept four globes of Fire magic flaring brightly, on the lookout for anything large that carried the potential of fanged death. Hope concentrated on searching the shadows beyond the flames' radiance for a glimpse of blood-red eyes a good distance off the ground, but it seemed everything was safe and empty.

He found himself marveling at the fact that she was still _smiling_, as if nothing had happened previously. Her green gaze was set determinedly forward, intent on finding the corpse of the poor Chocobo that had been slaughtered by the Behemoth from earlier.

Just when he was convinced they had taken the wrong route, Vanille let out a little murmur and released her grip on him. Kneeling by a forlorn, feathery shape that was stained crimson with blood, the tribe girl began stroking its neck.

Glancing around warily for danger, Hope moved to crouch beside her as she gave a gasp of surprise. "What's up?"

"It's alive still! Though not for long…" For someone used to hunting animals in Gran Pulse, she was awfully compassionate of the creatures, he mused.

The Chocobo had one large eye open, blinking at them once, long and slow.

Vanille whispered reassuringly, "Don't worry, you didn't die in vain. You helped to keep us alive, and we'll never forget that. Thank you."

"Yeah…thanks." It was hard for Hope to believe that the Chocobo didn't understand their words, because its stare—murky though it may have been—was far too _clear_ and _intelligent_. Hesitantly, he patted its uninjured shoulder.

Its eye closed and it exhaled once. It didn't take in another breath.

He studied Vanille inquisitively as she shut her eyes and brought her hands together, forming a peculiar triangle with her fingers. Dipping her head, she started muttering a chant of some kind, the sentences slurred by her accent.

_Probably shouldn't interrupt. Must be a Pulsian thing._

Once the Oerban had completed whatever ritual she had said over the now dead Chocobo, he asked, "So how do you plan on digging a hole?"

Blinking, Vanille replied sheepishly, "I…haven't thought of that yet."

Hope groaned and clenched his fists, mind racing as he tried to formulate a plan of some sort. They had magic; surely they could do _something_ with that? Even without their Eidolons, it shouldn't be beyond them to fashion a suitable grave for an oversized chicken!

"Did you notice?"

Still buried in his thoughts, he answered vacantly, "Huh?"

"The floor here…it's really flat. A lot of creatures must have walked on it." She ran her hand over the smooth dirt, disturbing only a few pebbles. "Guess not even Fang and I know everything about Gran Pulse."

"Yeah…" A Quake spell was out of the question, unless they wanted to be buried alive. "Okay," he decided with a nod. "We can use some Water to soften the dirt, but it'll take a lot of work to make something big enough for that Chocobo." Hope met her eyes and told her honestly, "We probably can't bury it. I'm sorry, but we don't have the tools or time or anything."

To his surprise, she didn't argue. She just took off one of her many tribal bangles and slipped it on the scaly leg of the Chocobo. Stroking its matted feathers one more time, she queried tentatively, "Can we look a little further down this tunnel?"

"Why?"

"I want to see where it was going. What was it heading for?" Vanille rose to her feet, redirecting the Fire spheres and sending one of them shooting down the passage. They watched the orange glow bounce off of the tunnel walls and become only a distant, burning smudge in the oppressive darkness.

Hope grimaced. "But…there might be more Behemoths down there."

"They don't like to share territory," she reasoned. "If there's any food, that one must have been the only predator around down here. There can't be much to eat underground."

He would really rather not, be he had to admit, the concept was intriguing. The platinum-haired boy simply shook his head and beckoned for her to follow him. Vanille fell into step at his side, carefully avoiding the prone corpse of the Chocobo in the process.

"We're not walking long," he warned. "Light and the others must be worried about us by now."

"Okay," she promised.

Their footsteps were the only sound in the tunnels—the magically created ember orbs nearby didn't make enough noise to be heard. It was like an uneven heartbeat from an immense creature, echoing in their ears and lingering there for a few seconds. As was typically the case with Vanille, he felt stronger, _braver_ when she was there. Like…like maybe he could be a hero or something. Whatever she wanted.

_Maybe this is how Snow feels with Serah._

An unexpected light glinted sharply in his eyes, and Hope shut them tight against the glaring pain. Raising a hand in an effort to shield himself, he peeked through his fingers to see the source of the sudden and rather unsought for gleam.

It was…cave moss, of some kind. Pale green and gray, stretching to encompass one entire wall. He inched closer, Vanille at his heels, trying to understand what he was looking at, exactly.

To his astonishment, a _ripple_ of glowing white passed through the moss, creating the illusion of an ocean wave. Like the kind that was imitated by the "sea" in Bodhum. As his eyes adjusted, he looked closer and saw what seemed to be _fiber optics_ of some kind embedded into the wiry plant itself. He and Vanille exchanged startled looks.

"Do you know what this is?" He put in a query for curiosity's sake, though he already suspected the answer.

"Not at all." Vanille placed a hand out and touched the moss, lean fingers running through the harmless material. As another ripple washed across its surface, she gasped.

"What is it?" Hope endeavored to see if there was anything painful about her expression, but instead, the tribe girl appeared flummoxed.

"I…Hmm." Tilting her head, she motioned for him to shush.

Hope froze, expecting to hear the _thump_ of Behemoth paws, but there was nothing there at all.

Except…

"Oh! Do you hear that, Hope?" Vanille smiled brightly. "Water!"

_Really_ straining his city-slicker ears for all they were worth now, the boy realized she was right. There was a faint hiss bouncing at them from nearby that could only be the sound of water falling into something.

"That must have been what the Chocobo heard! Let's go take a look!" Vanille bolted past him, and Hope had no choice but to follow. Their feet pounded against the stone as they jogged, and he sincerely hoped—no pun intended—that they wouldn't encounter something monstrously nasty skulking in the shadowy corners where even the Fire didn't reach.

More of the strange glowing moss lined the walls as they went, and their gazes were inexorably drawn to the mysteriously beautiful display of ivory ripples on either side of them. The air lost some of its heavy, old taste and acquired a fresher, damper tint to it.

Hope watched Vanille as she ran; half-skirt flapping, skirt swirling, pigtails swinging, and he couldn't help but admire how graceful she was. Like a cat, even if she didn't have the same feral grandeur as Fang or Lightning. The weird luminescent plants cast an otherworldly glow on the tribe girl, and he was unable to stop gawking just a little. Luckily, she couldn't see.

Eventually they ended up in a wide cavern with a high ceiling, a glistening, clear blue waterfall crashing into the ground to form a small pond beneath their feet. It was so clean that Hope could easily espy the bottom, and there was nothing of danger within the water except for some small, blind, white fishes.

Though Vanille rushed right in to look around, Hope paused just within the interior and glanced about with a wary air. He didn't think it was so smart to charge into the place, especially considering the monster that had been guarding the path to get there.

"Is something the matter?" The tribe girl inquired, kneeling by the waterside and tracing the paths of the fish with her eyes. He wondered idly if she was considering catching one and cooking it. (It _couldn't_ be any worse than the Behemoth from the previous night.)

"Nah." He walked inside and poked about, checking for any signs of land-bound life. More of the glimmering moss lined the walls, causing an electric shine to pass over the surface of the water every few seconds. Doubtlessly, the poor Chocobo had tried to lead them here, since water meant sustenance and sustenance meant life.

"Okay!" Standing, Vanille gazed steadily at him from the other side of the pool. "Let's get back to the others now. They're probably worried sick!"

"Right," he agreed with a nod. She flashed a grin before crossing the rock slope that acted as a makeshift bridge back to his end. As she started to make her way towards him, Hope spotted two shapes hurtling themselves at her from the very back of the cavern. They were the size of big dogs and thrice as heavy.

With red eyes.

"Vanille!" He shouted, panicked. He pointed behind her. "Run!"

"Huh?" She turned and her green eyes shot open wide as the miniature Behemoths lumbered ever nearer, long tongues hanging out of their still developing teeth. She shot at him so fast that he stumbled a bit as she passed. The wind she had generated from her mad dash hadn't even completely faded before she spoke again. "Wait…look!"

Hope tensed, drawing his boomerang, but the cubs—he realized now that's what they were—hadn't given chase. They waddled around on their stocky limbs near the water, dabbing their paws in as they attempted to spear a fish. Their guttural mewling sounded almost piteous.

"Oh…we must have killed their mother." Her green eyes turned sad, her voice sympathetic. She had her hands drawn up to her chest, her fingers intertwined.

"I guess…" Despite himself, in spite of how much he _hated_ fighting Behemoths, he couldn't help but feel kind of like a monster as he watched the hungry cubs and their sad efforts to catch themselves something to eat.

_I had my mom taken away from me. _He scratched the back of his head guiltily as Vanille murmured something in compassion for the beasts. _If they can feel pain and sorrow, I must have just inflicted the same torment on them._

Sighing, he turned halfway to his companion and muttered, "Let's get them something to eat before we go."

A smile brightened the entirety of her face. "Do you really mean it? I was going to suggest the same thing myself!"

He laughed a little. "I thought so."

_This is just so they don't chase us down the tunnels,_ Hope lied to himself as he stepped back at Vanille's bidding. The girl took her Binding Rod out and started casting the hooks, seeking to snag one of the fishes. Their empty white eyes betrayed their inability to see.

"Were you a fisher?" He asked, studying her relaxed stance.

She nodded. "Fang was more of a hunter, but we switched up sometimes."

"Oh." Hope sought to imagine life in her hometown, Oerba, but he couldn't properly picture living five hundred years ago, let alone living in Gran Pulse. But she and Fang were good, strong people, so he supposed it couldn't have been all that bad.

Giving a whoop of delight, Vanille yanked her arm back sharply, causing three fishes to fling through the air, still attached to her Binding Rod. He wiped some stray droplets from his face and knelt to examine her catch. Each of the fishes was about the size of his hand, and they flopped about weakly on the ground. They were pale, slender fellows and he mused about what the contents of their diet could possibly be in such an underground, remote area.

"Okay. Let's take it to them. Great job." Hope beamed at her before picking up the wriggling, slimy creatures. Aiming as if he was about to toss his boomerang, he launched the trio of fishes straight across the pool. They landed beside the Behemoth cubs with wet slaps, and the bulky animals immediately began devouring the fare, their hunger made even more evident by the ferocity of which they ate.

Vanille watched them interestedly, and he wondered what she was thinking so hard about, or if it was even about the Behemoths at all.

"Alright. Let's go." Hope turned and headed for the exit, looking over his shoulder and adding, "Coming?"

"Huh?" She blinked. "Of course!" Swiftly jogging to his side, she fell into step beside him.

The luminescent moss continued to cast its pale glow across the two as they journeyed, and Hope prayed that Light wasn't overreacting _too _badly about his safety. Likely Vanille was doing the same, except her concern was probably directed at Fang.

More Fire spells were lit (just in case) and a silence fell between the two that lasted for a few minutes.

"Hope?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever wonder…about us?"

He looked at her curiously. "What do you mean?"

"I…um…when all of this is over, what do you think will happen?"

Did she mean "us" as in…the pair of them, or "us" as in the whole group? It was hard to tell. Better to be safe. "I don't really think about it."

She exhaled sharply, frustrated and hiding it thinly. In response to his dismissive statement, she moved on to a new subject. "So many things are different. I'm like a fish out of water sometimes."

Stopping, and by doing so forcing her to do the same, he met her gaze questioningly.

"Five hundred years." She paused to let that sink in. "Half a millennium, Hope! All of my other friends, everyone I knew…they're gone."

"Ah…I know, and I'm sorry. But me and the others? We'll be there for you. We can't replace your old friends, but at least know that you won't be alone."

Vanille studied him from the corner of her emerald eyes, her emotions unreadable. "You're very wise, Hope."

"Heh, thanks. I try." He gave her a goofy smile, and she playfully hit his arm.

They continued on, the silence never finding its way back between them because they kept up a constant stream of conversation, even if most of what they said was meaningless.

~*X*~

Snow cringed, slapping the back of his neck and checking his palm for a smashed corpse. "What's biting me?" He asked incredulously for the fourteenth time that afternoon.

"Gnats, mosquitoes, viperflies…" Fang replied airily, her voice sounding distant thanks to her present position halfway within the hole she was currently digging.

The muscular blonde held Serah's crystal tear aloft, watching the rays of sunlight bounce off of its cerulean surface. He ached all over from his own laboring to clear the cave-in, and his joints in particular really _hurt_. Sunburn was the last thing on his mind, compared to the wretched _insects_.

The pounding of bullets against flesh reached his ears, and Snow pivoted around to see Sazh shooting a few warning shots at some creatures that were wandering too close. They shied away from the dual-wielding man, meandering back onto safer pastures.

"Snow, get back down here unless you're helping Sazh with guard duty!" Lightning demanded.

Pocketing Serah's tear, he slid back into the crater and looked about. The ground was sloped and uneven, but it would be only a matter of time before they opened a hole. After that, Vanille and Hope could crawl out and they would be on their way.

Simple. In theory.

Suppressing a sigh, he took hold of a particularly heavy boulder and began hauling it out, the muscles in his arms bulging from the strain.

He'd gladly take a little pain if it was for the youngest of their party, after all. Serah would do the same.

~*X*~

"It's getting late. I think. Did we go the right way?" Hope came to a halt, eyeing his surrounding suspiciously. His steps had become more and more unsure until he was _certain_ they were going in the incorrect direction.

Vanille, hands on her hips, shook her head, which made her pigtails swing. "No, this is it."

"What makes you so sure?"

She giggled. "I don't know, maybe my uncanny sense of direction? You grew up in Cocoon, you _would_ get lost easily. We're still in the Archylte Steppe, just…under it." With that, she pressed on.

Hope shrugged, letting her take the lead since it gave him time to let his thoughts wander. He kept his ears peeled for danger, but luckily, there was nothing for now.

Something strange occurred to him, and unable to stop himself, he murmured, "Vanille?"

"Yes?" She replied in a sing-song tone.

"If I had to be trapped underground forever with someone, I'm glad it was you."

"Oh…m-me too, Hope."

Hah. She was so cute when she blushed. Hope hung onto that thought for a little longer than necessary, because it made him feel warm all over.

He decided to keep going. "You know what? You asked me what I think will happen after all of this. I've got an answer."

"Really?"

"Yeah. What do you think of us going exploring together?"

She tilted her head to the side, curious. "Exploring where?"

"There's a lot of the world I haven't seen. I don't know if you've seen it all, or feel the same, but I'd really like to go take a look at everything there is to see. Someday." Hope smiled at her, and she mirrored it.

Nodding, she said, "I'd really love that, Hope."

"Then it's a promise."

Vanille looked off to the side. "A promise…" She repeatedly softly.

Hope blinked and then gasped, a full-fledged grin spreading across his young face. "Hey! There's some light up ahead, and it's not moss!"

There was a patch of white-yellow radiance at the very end of the passage they were in—and it was undeniably _sunlight_. Literally, the light at the end of the tunnel.

He took off at a sprint, with Vanille hurrying to catch up. The platinum-haired boy, once upon a time, would have already collapsed from the amount of walking they had done today. That was a long while ago.

However, the tribe girl had always been athletic. She bounded to his side, quick as a deer, and gripped his shoulder to stop him. He skidded to a halt, but before he could ask her what was up, she placed a quick kiss on his lips, which lasted for a single heartbeat.

Hope's mind ceased all activity for a second. Unable to form a coherent sentence, he gaped at her.

Vanille winked. "That's how we seal promises in Gran Pulse." With that, she raced down the tunnel, making Hope wonder if she was telling the truth or not. The butterflies in his stomach insisted that he go after her, so he forced his legs to move and did just that.

"Hey!" She shouted, directing her call towards the ray of sunlight. "Is anyone there?"

The reply wasn't long in coming. "Vanille!" Fang, naturally. "Are you all right?"

"Perfectly healthy!"

"Hope? You there?" Sazh this time.

"Yeah, I'm fine too."

"Good. Let's get you two out of there." Lightning appeared at the top of the rock slide. Kneeling, she extended her hand, her figure becoming a dark silhouette against the sun. Vanille paused and nodded at Hope to go first. The still somewhat dazed boy scrambled up the slanted, jagged rocks and reached high to take the ex-soldier's offered hand.

She pulled him out and, to his surprise, caught him in a brief hug. "You okay?"

He bobbed his head up and down to show he was, and Light flashed him a rare smile. Fang, meanwhile, was assisting Vanille in exiting the network of tunnels. The two women were grinning widely at each other and chatting already.

"So, everyone's alive?" Snow asked casually, swinging his arms. Hope noticed that everyone was covered in dirt and Sazh and Snow looked a little worse for wear than the others. Likely because they had been on monster patrol.

"Yep! Thanks, everyone!" Vanille gave the party an appreciative smile, which Hope quickly adopted. As the tribe girl launched into the story regarding their temporary imprisonment underground, he found his thoughts wandering back to the unexpected kiss.

Was that really some kind of Pulsian thing?

His eyes hurt from the strength of the light compared to the constant darkness underground, and he lifted a hand to shield them from the intense solar beams.

"You sure you're okay? You look out of it," Light remarked in that off-handed way she used to hide her concern.

"Huh? Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired."

The ex-soldier arched an eyebrow, not convinced, but simply said in way of reply, "We'll rest here for tonight. Then we have to get moving, we've lost a lot of time."

"Time. Right." Hope touched his L'Cie Brand, frowning at it and all that it stood for.

_Well_, he decided with a degree of finality. _If that really is the way to seal promises in Pulse…_He lifted his eyes and met Vanille's. _I'll have to be sure to return the favor._

* * *

_Author's Note: And there we have it! Want to drop a review? I really love those things. These two are my favorite couple in all of Final Fantasy, if you can't tell. XD_


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